Technology and Fashion

How does technology influence your style? We bet it is more than you think! We found out how everyday tech works with your wardrobe.

We sent fashion photographer, The Styleograph, out onto the streets to investigate technology as part of people’s style and we came back with some interesting findings. Selfie addict? Can’t live without your gadgets? We discover how this generations’ technology addiction has influenced our everyday fashion.

It’s official. We live in the selfie generation. The vast majority of people own a smart phone, most of which have a high quality camera, if not two high quality cameras. Not only can everyone be their own portrait photographer, but the portability of phones mean anyone can be a street style snapper too. These smartphones ensure we are all super connected – we can all check out social media channels wherever, whenever. Smartphones have become a status symbol, albeit one that most people have. Naturally they have become an accessory in themselves, usually just being carried in hands, some being customized as an extension of people’s personalities whether with stickers or a funky case. Mobile phones are perhaps the most accessible of tech accessories and their abundance definitely ensures your street style game is high – you never know who might want a selfie with you!

With the proliferation of tablets as the technology du jour, there has bloomed a whole new accessory market. Now, any fashionista worth her style salt has a quirky, kitsch case on her I-pad. Some even co-ordinate their tech accessories with their outfit like this street-styler! The best thing about these accessories is the fact they reinforce your personal style whilst also being incredibly practical – nobody is a fan of a cracked screen! Look to funky brands like Moschino and Marc by Marc Jacobs for the best tablet adornments.

Although the Laptop’s popularity has declined somewhat with the ascendance of tablets (see previous paragraph), it’s all-round usefulness continues. In fact, in order to stay relevant in a market saturated with touch screens, laptops have become smaller and lighter, making them easy to carry. Carrying your laptop can make you appear more professional –when pairing your laptop with a smart casual outfit, the carrier looks more pulled together, more important, like they have a significant purpose in life. An additional sartorial consequence of being able to carry your laptop? All your essentials will fit into one of those much talked about micro-bags so there is no excuse not to use the full rotation of pieces in your bag wardrobe.

Sunglasses have been around for a while and are no recent development. Since the dawn of ‘celebrity’, famous faces have been wearing larger than life eyewear to shield themselves from intrusive (and very unforgiving) rays of sun, paparazzi camera flashes, and us mere mortals who surround them on the street. Sunglasses however, have become much more than eye defenders, and it is now generally accepted that people can wear them regardless of the weather. Complicated metal frames, futuristic mirroring, and frames that appear to alter the shape of your face are all features of the contemporary pair and with so many brands, both high street and designer, anyone can find a suitable style (and a suitable celebrity alter ego to match).

Headphones are no longer just for listening to music through. It started with Dr Dre and his Beats headphones, the colorful and minimal pieces that positioned themselves as something between a gadget and a fashion accessory. This gave the same priority to the style element as to the quality of the technology. Now there is a plethora of contemporary brands jumping on the street style bandwagon, trying to create something you want to be seen wearing on your walk to work that you can also listen to the new Drake album on. Just add headphones to your outfit for a cool girl nonchalance.